Prominent Ruwa mbinga and ZERA board chairperson loses US$150 000 hidden in her bedroom in clean cash heist

A prominent Ruwa businesswoman and energy-sector leader lost US$150,000 after thieves entered her bedroom with a duplicate key and opened a locked trunk hidden inside a wardrobe, police have confirmed.

Engineer Farai Mavhiya-Bhiza, 55, the managing director of Chisipo Consultants, discovered the money was missing after returning from a business trip to Chegutu. She had left the cash at her home when she travelled on Saturday, with her maid, Josephine Mboneka, 33, remaining at the house.

Mavhiya returned at about 8pm on Sunday and went straight to bed. It was only on Monday, when she opened the trunk to access the money, that she realised it had been stolen. There was no damage to the bedroom door or the trunk. Police believe duplicate keys were used to enter the room and unlock the container.

Harare Provincial Police spokesperson Inspector Luckmore Chakanza confirmed that detectives were investigating the case and warned residents against keeping large amounts of cash at home or at business premises.

“Police are investigating an unlawful entry and theft case involving US$150,000 in Ruwa,” Insp Chakanza said.

“It was observed that there was no forced entry into the bedroom or the trunk lock, and investigations are underway.”

The maid had been employed at the house for only three weeks. The garden boy was off duty during the weekend, while one of Mavhiya’s children visited the home during her absence. Police are expected to examine who had access to the house, how duplicate keys could have been made and whether anyone knew that the money was being kept in the bedroom.

The theft has placed attention on the security risks created when large amounts of cash are stored in private homes. In this case, the cash was not taken during a violent break-in. It disappeared from a concealed trunk without the locks being forced, suggesting that investigators are looking closely at people who may have known the layout of the house or had access to keys.

Mavhiya-Bhiza is a senior figure in Zimbabwe’s engineering and corporate sectors. She is the managing director of Chisipo Consultancy, a multidisciplinary engineering company involved in civil, structural, electrical and mechanical engineering work. She is also the chairperson of the board of the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority, having previously served as deputy chairperson.

She is the president of the Zimbabwe Institution of Engineers and a fellow of the professional body. Earlier in her career, she was an associate director responsible for mechanical and electrical departments at Arup Zimbabwe. She has also chaired the board of the Harare Institute of Technology, where she was recognised as Board Chairperson of the Year in the tertiary institutions category in 2023.

Her professional work has included efforts to improve the visibility of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. She graduated with a Bachelor of Technology Honours degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Zimbabwe in 1994. She later obtained an ACCA Certified Diploma in Accounting and Finance in 2002 and was awarded a Professional Doctorate in Engineering by the European International University in 2024. In 2025, she was named Zimbabwe’s Most Influential Chief Executive Officer by the Institute of Corporate Directors Zimbabwe (ICDZ).

The Ruwa tricky investigation comes as police face renewed scrutiny over the way theft and robbery cases are handled in Zimbabwe. In one recent case, two police officers were convicted after a theft suspect was assaulted at Chisumbanje Police Station and his mother was allegedly asked for US$370 to secure his release.

The incident involved Sergeant Talent Lazarus Tausen of ZRP Chipinge Urban and Constable Edwin Dewa of Nyabadza Police Station. The disciplinary case arose from events between 8 and 13 November 2025, after Sydney Muchongoyo alighted from an Inter Africa bus carrying a bag that officers believed belonged to someone else.

The officers were accused of assaulting Muchongoyo and demanding money from his mother, Alice Chikumba. She allegedly paid US$370 but later demanded the money back after her son was not released. The officers were convicted in police disciplinary proceedings and sentenced to 14 days at Chikurubi Detention Barracks. Their appeal to the Commissioner-General of Police was dismissed.

In September 2026, the High Court rejected the officers’ attempt to stop the detention while they pursued a review of their convictions. Justice Sijabuliso Siziba said the application was defective and dismissed it. The ruling cleared the way for the 14-day sentence to be enforced.

The Chisumbanje case is not the only recent matter in which alleged police violence has been linked to an investigation. In Harare, Chawapiwa Kafesu, who had appeared in court over allegations involving US$305,000, reported that he was assaulted after presenting himself at Harare Central Police Station to comply with bail reporting conditions.

Kafesu was reportedly taken to office number 39, occupied by Joseph Nemaisa of the Criminal Investigation Department’s Homicide section. He said the assault was intended to force him to confess. A complaint was filed at Marimba Police Station under report number RRB2867179.

Another case was brought by Teressa Kosana, a 37-year-old woman from Masvingo province. Four officers from Chivamba Police Base in Zaka arrested her on 6 May 2023 while looking for her 20-year-old son, Byron Chedimbwa. Chedimbwa had been convicted of stealing a mobile phone and had reportedly failed to complete a community service sentence.

Kosana told the officers that her son was not at home and had travelled to Chiredzi. She was nevertheless handcuffed and taken to the police base. She was threatened with being immersed in water to make her reveal his whereabouts. Instead, officers poured cold water over her and left her handcuffed to a table throughout the night. She was released the following morning without a charge being brought against her.

Her lawyer notified the officers, the police commissioner-general and the Home Affairs minister that Kosana would seek damages for assault, unlawful arrest, detention and the suffering she endured.

In a separate 2023 case, 19 police recruits were arrested after civilians were attacked in Harare’s central business district. The recruits, including Tadiwanashe Machopa and 18 others, faced public violence charges. Prosecutors said some recruits were still on the run at the time of their court appearance.

One of the accused, Tinotenda Chakanyuka, complained that he had been forced to implicate colleagues even though they had been at the barracks when the alleged offence took place. Their lawyer told the court: “Confessions that they submitted were as a result of torture. Most of the accused were at the barracks during the alleged time the crime was committed.”

The State alleged that the recruits had entered the central business district armed with sticks and other objects and had randomly assaulted members of the public. Investigators said the recruits were retaliating after two trainee colleagues were assaulted at the Copacabana bus terminus. Some civilians were injured.

For detectives investigating the Ruwa theft, the immediate task is to trace the duplicate keys, establish who knew about the trunk and determine who was present or had access to the property while Mavhiya was away. The missing cash, the absence of forced entry and the short period during which the maid had worked at the home are likely to form part of that inquiry.

Police have urged households and companies to avoid storing large sums of money on their premises. In Ruwa, the loss of US$150,000 has turned a quiet weekend absence into a detailed investigation centred on keys, access and a trunk that appeared secure until its owner opened it.